The existence of an independence judiciary is a pillar of a democratic state based on the rule of the law. It is also a fundamental human right which is - inter alia - recognized in Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. One mean to ensure that the independence of the judiciary is observed are institutional safeguards such as institutions the mandate of which is to guarantee the judicial independence. One such institution is the Supreme Judicial Council of the Republic of Bulgaria. Its continued reform is among the benchmarks which the European Commission has set for Bulgaria in its last Monitoring report of 2006. The following presentation which was delivered by Ms. Anita Mihailova in the context of a Bulgarian-Romanian expert conference on December 15, 2006 in Sofia organized by the Rule of Law Programme for South East Europe, describes the development and role of the Supreme Judicial Council of Bulgaria as well as some important achievements and challenges ahead for this important institution.